ARTICLES ABOUT SPRING TRAINING BY DATE - PAGE 4

The implosion of arguably the greatest core in Phillies history is going to start in a fitting place. James Calvin Rollins, the homegrown triggerman for a franchise that won five straight division titles and the 2008 World Series, was the first of the talented ensemble to arrive in the big leagues at the turn of the century, and, according to multiple reports, he will become the first to go when he is traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The deal was not official Wednesday night, but nothing more than formalities was holding it up. Jimmy Rollins, 36, will not be the last fading star to be removed from the roster this offseason as general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. attempts to inject a youth movement that he hopes represents the foundation for the next great era in Phillies history.

SAN DIEGO - A year ago, the Phillies arrived at the winter meetings with the news that Roy Halladay was retiring. Before leaving town, they signed Roberto Hernandez to replace him in the starting rotation. Other than the Rule 5 draft, it was the only roster activity during their 4-day stay in Orlando, Fla. Ruben Amaro Jr. arrived at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego this week ready to have a more active stay at the meetings, on the condition he could find another general manager ready to do business.

PHOENIX - The first major act of baseball's offseason came and went Thursday morning, and it proved to be nothing more than a feeling-out process for Phillies acting team president Pat Gillick and embattled general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. The team made some minor news on the final day of the general managers meetings by announcing the signing of eight players to minor-league contracts. The list included outfielder Jeff Francoeur, a former first-round pick of the Atlanta Braves who once upon a time was capable of driving in 100 runs.

CLIFF LEE, arguably the most important player on the 2015 Phillies roster, given his salary and on-field impact, remains on track to be ready to return when the Phillies open camp in Clearwater in February. Lee underwent an MRI on Friday at the Rothman Institute that yielded "positive results," the Phillies said in a news release Wednesday. According to the team medical staff, Lee's flexor tendon is "healing well. " Lee will begin a full throwing program in November. Lee, 36, was limited to 13 starts this season after two separate stints on the disabled list because of an ailing left elbow.

MIAMI - The 87th Phillies loss in 2014 resembled many before it, even though there was a certain significance to this particular one Thursday. The Phillies sealed a last-place finish for the first time since 2000. There will be countless growing pains for this franchise because no one can state with confidence that this is the nadir. David Buchanan could not pitch beyond the sixth inning in a 6-4 loss to the Marlins because Miami crushed him for nine hits. Everything fell apart in the seventh inning when Christian Yelich's routine grounder skipped through Cody Asche's legs.

WASHINGTON - Considering the alternative, Phillies rookie lefthander Mario Hollands feels extremely fortunate. Hollands was placed on the 60-day disabled list Friday with a Grade 2 flexor strain in his left forearm. Righthander Sean O'Sullivan had his contract selected from Lehigh Valley and will be available on Saturday. Hollands had an MRI and an ultrasound on Thursday. He said no tears were discovered, so there will be no surgery. But he won't even pick up a baseball for about six weeks.

ALLENTOWN - Maikel Franco, whose spring training and start to his minor-league season at Lehigh Valley was a dud, is finishing on a tear. The Inquirer's No. 2-ranked Phillies prospect is creating plenty of buzz: He turned 22 on Tuesday and celebrated by hitting a grand slam. Franco insists he hasn't dwelled on whether he will be called up after the minor-league season ends Monday, the same day the major-league rosters expand to 40 players. "No, I haven't thought about Philadelphia," Franco said during a pregame interview Wednesday at Coca-Cola Park.

When the Phillies signed Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez for $12 million last summer, they included performance bonuses for games started and games relieved. Ruben Amaro Jr. proclaimed his Cuban import a starter - the team negotiated a $48 million agreement before a medical examination forced amendments - although the international scouting community was divided on Gonzalez's future role. Some, like the Phillies, saw the potential for a back-of-the-rotation arm. Others envisioned a shutdown reliever.

'HE WAS erratic out there. " Those were manager Ryne Sandberg's words the last time he saw Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez pitch in a Phillies uniform. And Sandberg was actually kind with his choice of words. Gonzalez, the 27-year-old Cuban defector, had allowed four runs on four hits and two walks in an inning of work in a blowout loss to the Baltimore Orioles in a spring training game in Sarasota, Fla. Gonzalez would be sidelined for the remainder of spring training with shoulder woes, which had plagued him from the time he signed with the Phillies.